Millennium Park is part of the larger Grant Park. The pavilion, which has a capacity of 11,000, is Grant Park’s small event outdoor performing arts venue, and complements Petrillo Music Shell, the park’s older and larger bandshell. Pritzker Pavilion is built partially atop the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, the park’s indoor performing arts venue, with which it shares a loading dock and backstage facilities. Initially the pavilion’s lawn seats were free for all concerts, but this changed when Tori Amos performed the first rock concert there in 2005.

The construction of the pavilion created a legal controversy, given that there are historic limitations on the height of buildings in Grant Park. To avoid these legal restrictions, the city classifies the bandshell as a work of art rather than a building.